Miombo woodland in bloom, central Malawi Photograph by Judy Oglethorpe   Southern central Africa: Tanzania, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, and Malawi Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands   457,200 square miles (1,184,200 square kilometers) -- about four times the size of Arizona Vulnerable

· Central African Woodlands
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Central African Woodlands

The Central Zambezian Miombo Woodlands is a densely forested ecoregion that covers much of Central and East Africa. Trees grow to heights of 50 to 65 feet (15-20 m), rising over a broadleaf shrub understory with grassland underneath. Mostly deciduous, these forests provide habitat for many large mammals--including rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, and antelopes--as well as many reptiles and birds.

Special Features

Much of this ecoregion is flat or rolling, with local areas of higher relief. High temperatures range from about 75° to 86° F (24°-30° C), and low temperatures range from 48° to 64° F (9°-18°C). Annual rainfall varies substantially across this area, from 22 to 67 inches (550-1700 mm). The dry season may be as long as 7 months, and 95 percent of the annual rainfall occurs from November to March, which is the region's summer.

	Yellow baboons often catch hares and young antelopes for food during the birthing season.

Wild Side

An estimated 8,500 plant species grow in these woodlands, about half of which are endemic. Elephants, elands, sable and roan antelopes, black rhinos, and Lichtenstein's hartebeests all graze or browse on grasses, shrubs, or trees. Included in the region is the Gombe Stream Game Reserve, where Jane Goodall conducted her long-term study of chimpanzees. Other primates here include the red colobus, red-tailed monkey, and yellow and chacma baboons. Rich in reptiles, the region has 46 endemic species. Among its many birds are the threatened black-faced waxbill, as well as the range-restricted long-tailed cisticola and gray-crested helmetshrike.

Cause for Concern

Habitat loss in this region is directly linked to population density. For example, areas surrounding large, urban centers such as Lusaka in Zambia have been cleared for farming, ranching, and charcoal production. However, relatively intact blocks of habitat still exist in western Tanzania, Zambia, and the southern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The hunting of bushmeat is a growing problem in this ecoregion, and hunting for rhino horn and elephant ivory has depleted this area of both of those species.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.